HOBOKEN –Assemblyman Ruben Ramos, Councilman Tim Occhipinti and Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club today called for action on climate change saying that Hoboken and other New Jersey coastal cities cannot afford another Hurricane Sandy.

Standing in the front of Hoboken Terminal where train tunnels flooded as a result of Sandy-inspired tidal surges, Ramos, Occhipinti and Tittel said climate change is causing natural disasters to increase in frequency and intensity. They called on leaders in federal, state and local governments to support the climate action plan President Barack Obama announced last month.

The Hoboken PATH station closed for more than a month because of Sandy flooding. Half of the Mile Square City was submerged by the superstorm.

“Severe storms, extreme heat, summer droughts and unhealthy air days are becoming more and more frequent,” Ramos said. “We must embrace ways to help New Jersey communities deal with these problems and learn to prevent future damage caused by climate change and extreme weather.”

In addition to Sandy, which destroyed 380,000 homes and was responsible for 131 deaths, there were 24 other extreme weather events in 2011 and 2012. Those events caused $188 billion worth of damage and were responsible for 1,100 deaths, Occhipinti said.

Occhipinti said his Fourth Ward constituents have to deal with flooding "even during simple rainy days, so it’s that much worse here when a major storm hits.”

Obama's strategy aims to cut carbon pollution in America and internationally. As part of the plan, all federal projects would be designed to withstand intense storms.